


THE SUNRISE ON THE RIVERBANK

by Pharacosm



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Blood and Gore, F/M, Graphic Description, Headcanon, Height Differences, Hints of other relationships, Silent Hill References, Slow Burn, Slow To Update
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 19:42:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28587408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pharacosm/pseuds/Pharacosm
Summary: In this realm, the entity only has power at night. Some Killers can only come out during that time, while some roam the streets even after daybreak, their hunt for survivors never-ending.It's an endless game of wolf and rabbit. Freedom is uncertain and death is permanent.However, when Nea Karlsson is separated from Bill Overbeck and is left with the decision of falling off an edge of uncertainty, she regains consciousness at a riverbank. There, she will find The Wraith in dire condition, the sunrise itching to burn him up. She's left with a choice; Will she help the so-called Wraith that's posed a threat before and figure out why he was left there to die? Or will she try to get back to her friends alone never knowing why?
Relationships: Nea Karlsson/Philip Ojomo | The Wraith
Comments: 9
Kudos: 24





	1. Fall

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I'd start this year off with a old hobby  
> Most of this will be unedited

The shrill yells of the Nurse pierced the air. Nea Karlsson had just blinded it with a flashlight in a fight for her life. Her lungs flamed in urgency to rest, to use the moment of pause but she was not allowed to unless she wanted to die. Although she had the nurse clawing at its eyes, hollering, the Twins were the next threat in line. 

Her legs flew with each step, the light-emitting from her flashlight swinging along just as urgently. Running always came naturally but Nea was the fighting type, not the fleeing one. She didn't know when but she cornered herself at a dead end and before she knew it she was spinning around to fight with a flimsy rod of light. Immediately, she got mauled by the smaller twin. The thing scratched and bit at the back of her head, shrieking and screaming as if to bloat its catch to the other. Its nails tore into places Nea didn’t want to think of.

"LET," She huffed. "GO!"

With a wild swing, the thing came off.

Air. Cold, rushing air... Bursting through Nea like a bullet. There were no shouts or ghostly wails, just deafening wind now. She could already hear David and Jake calling her unruly names as she watched the cliff grow further and further away, her hands being visible insight. She could almost see the Nurse and Twins lean in to watch Nea fall before everything clashed to black.

  
  
  
  
  


The coughing reflex awoke her abruptly but getting up was labored and nauseating. She leaned back into her arms and pushed herself into a sitting position, arms burning as she did. Her eyes slowly focused on the ground and the raw sensation at her throat came crashing in. Step by step her senses came back. Her hands gripped rocky sand and gentle water streamed across her lower half. She was at a riverbank. It was freezing. More importantly, her ears were cold. Her beanie...

"Damn it..." 

She attempted to stand but stumbled a bit, water splashing more than it should've. The coughing was throwing her off-balance. She cursed but kept trying, determination eating away at her bones. She needed to get back to her friends or get away from the water. That Twin, the tall one, seemed to be smart and would probably follow the river. 

However, she couldn't stop herself from refilling the bottle that rested loyally on her belt, pushing away the hair that stuck around her face prior to doing so. Water was water and she didn't know when she'd get the chance to do this again if ever. To hell if she didn't know how long she'd been out or how the slight chill gnawed at her. The water had no business sounding this delicious. 

She drank a little each time her coughs settled and took more time than any survivor would in her shoes. Sure, It was still dark, which meant it was still dangerous and that she was probably only out for a few hours but it was always dangerous. 

It was killers like the Nurse that posed more of a threat; the ones that come out in the night. It was fast, could somehow teleport, and if Nea knew anything she knew that those monsters were always tracking them. Least to say, the anxieties of killers were subdued to the lower list of things that caused Nea stress. It was an everyday thing.  _ Get used to it. _

Her walking became steadier and the occasional coughing fits seemed to dismal. If it weren't for the impending dread that lingered on her back she'd probably enjoy this, the noisy leaves beneath her feet being the only con in this. 

_ The sun's rising _ . Nea looked across the skyline, standing on her tiptoes to get the best view she could. It was dimming up to a soft blue and a white rim came across the lower world. Leafless trees jabbed into the air like black veins. It was quite a gorgeous view.  _ Claudette would love this _ . There must’ve been a billion different plants here. She wouldn’t know for sure, she wasn’t a plant person but she knew someone who was.

A soft crackle met her ears. Like from a campfire but wet and oddly shriveled. She stopped, silencing the ground beneath her. Nea redirected her full attention to it. It had been on her right and she was now walking slowly towards it, holding herself for warmth. 

Knowing the sun was going to rise soon gave her a sense of stupid liberation and recklessness. She was still wary of course, hugging at the tree lines whenever it got too quiet but her unheeding bravery was going to be her downfall. 

The closer she got the more somber it sounded--more mysterious. Her brow arched at it. It was strange, it sounded familiar but she couldn't pinpoint where. It was something the night killers had about them, it was their knack at being otherworldly. That was it. With the Nurse, it sounded ghostly, the Spirit similar, and the Hag witch-like.

The Wraith. 

There was a bear trap clamped into its leg. Layers upon layers of thick rope bound it to a massive tree and a number of what she assumed was its things were scattered about. Its head snapped up at Nea, instantly aware of her presence. She hurried back behind the tree's cover, instinctively grabbing for her flashlight only to remember she lost it in the fall. Fear vibrated her body, not only for the monster that sat a few feet away, or for the chilly air, but for the fact that this forest was trapped and she had been walking in the pitch dark ignorant to it. 

_ Careless Nea, Carless _ . Bill had talked the group's ears out about traps but people like Nea seemed not to care enough until it happened to them. She slid down against the tree, unsure of what to do. She thought this forest was unmarked but clearly, she was wrong. 

She didn't know much about The Wraith personally, only that it had chased Jake and got a good snag this one time. He had a nasty scar from it. She had never seen this killer in all her time being here, it was only Jake that saw him. There were only a couple others she hadn’t seen but that wasn't important right now.

As her heartbeat calmed and she could hear right again she listened for any warning signs. She could hear the strange breathing from The Wraith but nothing else. It wasn't normal; the breathing. It was scratchy, dry, yet gurgled all at once. She couldn't describe it. After sitting there for however long, she built up the balls to peek again, maybe this time get a better grasp of things. It was still starring in her direction and that alone sent a heavy feeling down her gut. She hesitated to do anything else.

_ Why was The Wraith left to die? _ It shouldn't have been such a hefty thought. Animals killed each other all the time. This could've been some sorta result of beastly dominance. She'd seen the one called Oni lash out before. Nobody believed her though. But it was true, she watched the giant ogre raise its weapon at the Deathslinger after a heated argument. She didn't remember what they said to one another but clearly, the bigger one didn't take too kindly to it and she never saw them work together again. She hated when she heard them talk like humans. It creeped her out.

The sky began brightening up and she eyed how the Wraith’s hands curled into a tense ball and its dots for eyes left her, it seemed to have been encouraged to try pushing off the ground--to try freeing itself again. She was right. It was a killer of the night. 

_ Serves you right. _

She took a step, beginning to make her way around it. With the knowledge of the forest being trapped she'd just have to be careful. She couldn’t go back the way she came now, there was no way up the mountain back there. Just a waterfall to get deafened and splashed from.

"S...top.."

She whipped her head back to the Wraith, almost astonished that a beast of the night could talk. She'd never heard them verbally talk. Yet again, Feng did mention the Hag trying to curse her once... Getting a grip, she scowled. It had talked, right? She could’ve been imagining that horrific sound to be dialogue.

"Stop?" She asked, feeling foolish.

The Wraith slowly pointed at a location ahead of Nea, not saying a word.  _ So it did talk _ . She squinted through the soft darkness, trying to understand what it was looking at. It was a trap. She almost walked straight into it. She swallowed. Again, it was a miracle she didn't step in one on her way here but now she was just an idiot testing their luck.  _ Bill, I promise to always think about your horrible, stupid mistakes from now on. _ She looked back at the miserable thing with questioning eyes.

What was its game? Was this some shitty way of trying to get her to help it so it could just go killing again? Or had The Wraith truly given up? Even so, the damn thing just helped her and she can't ignore that.  _ I guess it hasn’t killed anyone I know yet but Jake was a prime example of it trying to _ .

"Is this your take on guilt-tripping?" She laughed darkly. "I'll have you know I'm no stranger to it."

When Nea only got an eerie stare she sighed and returned to her little spot near the tree. It made her fidget knowing the wretch was probably still looking her way. She'd just wait until sunrise before moving. She could risk finding a stick. But as she looked, there was only dirt and leaves at her feet. It was too bad the trees were solid at the bottom.

She sat back down and began pondering once more. The nurse had chased her before, at sunrise, and had made the most horrific sounds when a ray of sunlight touched it. Until then she had believed those killers disappeared somewhere else during the day--to a different world maybe, but she had watched and stayed in the patch of light for hours and the Nurse did not disappear. Did she really wanna hear something like that again? She bit the side of her finger trying to block out the haunting wails the Nurse had made. 

_ It can see the traps _ . She couldn't believe she was debating this. She looked back at the Wraith, unfazed that it was still gazing at her.  _ And it did warn me _ .

She stood up. She couldn't believe she was doing this on a small hunch. A tiny gesture. Careless.

"Let's make a deal. I help you out of that and you help me get back to the city. You seem to be able to see the traps better than I can. Which is funny since," She smirked at the irony, "You get the point."

She carefully scanned the floor that led to the Wraith, waiting for a response that was taking too long to come. She didn't see any traps but the trap the Wraith pointed out was only noticeable  _ because _ it pointed it out. 

"Dea...l"

With that, she began making her way to it. Truthfully she was probably just suicidal. At least that's what Meg or David would tell her if they could see her right now. Nonetheless, she stopped near the wraith. She looked closer at the machinery that had its jaws clenched so tightly around the Wraith’s leg. It was a mystery how the trap didn't sever it completely. But anyway, It was  _ sideways _ . Why the hell was it  _ sideways _ ? Was this actually done intentionally? It had to have been. The thing could see them. She kneeled at the Wraith's side, still suspicious. She swore killers like The Wraith were seven feet tall. It was ridiculous. 

"I'll be a pain in your ass if you break our deal." She warned.

The Wraith watched quietly as she got out her pocket knife and began cutting at the ropes. The Wraith was lucky it didn’t fall out in the water. It was duller than she expected so it took longer than it should've. She didn't know what she'd do about the beartrap since she knew her strength couldn't do much. She wasn't petite but she wasn't buff either. Those things were a hassle to untrigger.

Nea held her breath when the rope snapped and the wraith sagged forward. It immediately moved its hands to its leg. The sudden movement had made Nea bolt back.

She was surprised to see the thing easily disarm it. When Bill had been unfortunate it took David and then some to get it off his leg and even then Claudette had to amputate it. She had already made her way back to her tree, watching from a distance while it did all this. She wasn't a coward; she just wanted a head start if she needed to tuck tail and run. The thing was massive and clearly inhumanly strong. It was common sense.

It took her off guard when the Wraith stood and picked up its things as if it didn't have a fucking million-ton trap shut onto its leg for god knows how long. It picked up a sack, a weird-looking bell, a bottle, stone, and its weapon. Not long after, it turned toward Nea and advanced with its weapon in hand, stopping when it saw her tense.

The Wraith's head slanted slightly before it raised a hand at her and spoke, "D...e...a...l..."

She stood upright and crossed her arms. She tried to look as strong as possible but she knew it probably only amused the monster. Yet when she looked at the Wraith she couldn't see any indication of that. It was like its face was paralyzed or something. Or maybe it was like David and liked to pretend it had no expressive function other than anger. Its voice sounded pained though--like its vocals had been dry for years... Even still, it was deep and gurgled. It was driving her mad not being able to describe it. She made the thoughtful choice to not criticize a beast that could probably crush her in a heartbeat.

"... Well lead the way. You know how to get out of here right?"

The wraith looked at the sky and then back at Nea.  _ Right, the sun... _ Now the sky was faintly tinted yellow, and the sounds of the morning were setting in. Before Nea could make a comment the Wraith was already heading in a direction. She liked the sudden spirit and followed. 

She made sure to not walk anywhere it didn't. However, as they walked, it pointed out where each trap was.  _ How generous _ . She hated her sarcasm. She took note that the Wraith never looked back to make sure she was keeping up. Even so, it stopped or slowed down when she was falling behind---like it didn’t need to turn around to know if she was keeping up or not.

Another sound reached her ears, but this one was more at home. An animal cry. Even though she couldn't see where it was, it made her uncomfortable imagining what horrific sight the animal must've been. Eventually, they walked far enough and no longer had to hear the animal's cries. She tried to ignore how the Wraith stalled and looked in the direction of where the sound had been, frequently. 

If the forest wasn't trapped she would've put the animal out of its misery and brought it back to the group. It made her question why the Wraith hadn't fetched it. Maybe it had some respect for the Trapper. She highly doubted it had remorse or that she would stop it from doing anything.  _ Must be the time limit it’s on. _

They came to what Nea could only assume was the cliff that she so wonderfully fell off of. The Wraith walked to the towering wall of rock and continued off alongside it. It wasn't long before it disappeared into a hallowed piece of earth. Nea, dumbfounded, walked over to where she saw it last. It was in a small cave, hunched over as it tried to fit itself in. She watched as it laid down and started getting comfortable deeper in.

She heaved a breath, pressing herself against the outside’s corner, "Now wait a minute," she slid her hand down her face, irritated, "You--This wasn't part of the plan."

She didn’t get a response. Instead, it settled in against inward rock, setting its weapon down and making noises she could only assume were yawns. Nea couldn't help but be annoyed. At least it won't be able to come out. She could use the rest but she knows she won't be able to sleep knowing that thing was next to her. But it's been helpful so far...

She basically slammed herself down, siting against the outside wall, angry at her thoughts. She watched the world light up around her. It was beautiful but it didn't feel right not having everyone around. 

Her stomach grew heavy with something as her tantrum ended. It trickled its way down from her head. Maybe she was hungry, or maybe she was coming down with something but it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

She turned around to see The Wraith sleeping. It was a surreal sight. Seeing such a thing defenseless before her made the corner of her mouth crinkle. She couldn't wait to tell Meg how she got to see one of the killers sleeping let alone begging for her help. The corner of her mouth dropped and her face glazed over with gloom at the thought of Meg and the others.

When she had gotten chased it was to lure the danger away. To be a decoy. Bill was still recovering and mostly everyone else was out scavenging while she got left to babysit. Bill wasn't so accepting of it and neither was she but, Claudette was someone you could not say no to. That woman had a way with her words.

Nea sighed, suddenly feeling homesick. She prayed that Bill was okay and that The Twins were still on her trail and not backtracking...  _ Oh. _

_ SHIT! _

Nea got to her feet so fast she got whiplash but she couldn't stop her panic. Her eyes scanned the tree lines. She had gotten so focused on her safety from the Wraith that she'd forgotten about the Twins. After a long moment of agitated scouting, she relaxed. She freaked herself out over nothing. If the Wraith was sleeping then it had to be safe. Assuming it was an outcast---she wasn't willing to bet on it. 

Surely the things wouldn't think of going into the forests. This was clearly The Trapper's territory... Yet she hadn't seen that one yet.

Something built in her chest and she had coughed. It was a nasty one but she didn't think much of it. At least not until she heard shuffling from behind her. She didn't dare look back at The Wraith. But its eyes were on her. She knew it. She was not going to apologize. It felt too prolonged before the gaze on her back went away. She didn't know this thing was a light sleeper. And why did she feel scolded?

Jesus what was she doing. She stood up and began looking for a stick. It was daylight, she didn't need the help of a monster to survive. Even if the traps were nearly impossible to see she could outsmart them. She ended up ripping out a stick from the undergrowth outside the cave. She took a good look at the cliff and made the assumption that the uphill was on the left somewhere, maybe there was a trail or stairs she could take. Surely this had to be a hiking spot... Whatever was this place anyway? It had to be apart of the city that’s for sure.

The only people she'd seen were ones she'd known for years now. It was like there was nothing else in this world but them and the killers. No authority, no laws, no cops, no social media, nothing. 

Not to mention the people she survived with were from all different times. Bill didn't know what a modern car was, Tapp wasn’t up to date on phones, and Ace had to be filled in on new gamble games. It was something she couldn't wrap her head around. They all just woke up in a random part of the dead city one day and eventually found each other. They’d seen corpses of other people that weren’t so lucky but nobody else had been here for years now. 

She and the group tried taking the main road out of here but there was nothing beyond the city other than fog. Whenever they tried walking into it they somehow came back from where they left. It was unsettling.

She used the long stick to guide her, walking uphill, slowly. The uphill was a good sign. She was getting close to where she wanted to be. Some days there'd be a heavy fog while others it was clear. This was one of those days where it was mostly clear besides the morning mist. She hated these days. She found comfort in the dense fogs, knowing that whatever was out there couldn't see her because she wouldn’t be able to see them either. She tossed the opinion around the group and to her surprise most of them didn't agree other than Feng and Dwight.

She tripped a trap and the stick went flying with a loud snap. To say it scared her would be an understatement. How was she unable to see these traps? It boggled her mind that such things could be hidden so well. Her mind was wandering sure, but she was paying attention.

She stopped when she heard something further up. It made her freeze. The trap was thunderous when she set it off, birds had gone flying into the sky as a result of that but wow was she testing it. She saw a small meaty figure higher up the hill and then a hooded one in the far back. It was the Twins.

Where the hell was she supposed to go? She could hide but what’s the point? Those things always had a knack for finding them and they never knew why. The survivors could move and move but eventually, the killers found them. And every time the damned things got close enough it was like they got a notification saying: _ 'Hey grossfucks! Yeah, I'm here!’ _ But now she did herself in. She practically dug herself a grave setting off that trap.

In a fleet of hysteria, she rushed back down the hill, which probably wasn't the best choice, being she heard the thing respond to the loud crunches of leaves beneath her feet at an even more alarming rate. She retraced her footsteps back down to where The Wraith was sleeping and practically dove into the cave with it. She was willing to take her chances with The Wraith. Unlike with The Twins this one had yet to lay a finger on her.

She watched and listened. The thing was getting closer. She could see The Wraith look at her and then outside. She wasn't sure when it woke up.

"It's the Twin's." She said. "The little one heard me."

Something on the back of The Wraiths neck rose as it stared for a moment. The thing was debating on what to do. 

The crunches of leaves grew unbearably loud and with a blink, Nea was held in place, facing the wall. Hot breaths ran down her neck and powerful hands held her shoulders, restricting her movement. It wasn’t long before she could hear the little Twin just outside of the little cave, making its way in with beastly pants.


	2. Glass

Nea could feel the horrid screeches that came from the tiny demon vibrating the air, sending volts of ill energy to bounce off the walls. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut to conceal the distraught vocals it caused. The thing was inside her eardrum, banging and stabbing at the deepest parts. It seemed like it wasn’t going to leave. 

The Wraith's hands were calloused, unbearably warm, and barely fit on her shoulder’s frame. It had grabbed its weapon and now the object was squeezed between its hand and her shoulder blade. She wanted to yell at it, beat the shit out of it for touching her. Yet when she tried to move even the slightest bit, its hands gripped tighter, the handle of the weapon putting pressure on the wrong parts. 

She wasn’t sure what it was doing other than forcing itself and her into a corner of stone and dirt. She didn’t dare open her eyes to see either, especially when the heat of its head lowered next to hers. She would’ve kept fighting to move if it weren’t for how strong it was or if the position they were in wasn’t so critical. 

As time went on it occurred to Nea that it might just actually be hiding them. She had no idea why. If anything it would benefit the Wraith to hand her over. If he was indeed an outcast or hated wouldn’t offering a survivor such as herself justify its wrongdoings?  _ I guess it's not a killer-pleaser.  _ Even if that's the case, it shouldn’t be hard to find the two---mainly the Wraith.

By some new dumb luck, the demonic fetus left the cave. It’s bickering grew quieter and quieter until eventually, Nea couldn’t hear it anymore. It was a questionable amount of time before she was unhandled. She got a glimpse of something smoky when she had pried her eyes. The moment she could, she darted her head to the Wraith. Her eyes burned with rage.

“What,” her voice was agitated but hushed, “the fuck  _ Jeral _ .”

The Wraith was still noticeably close. She could see its face muscles relax as it went back to making the alienating breathing, the dots in its hollow-eye-sockets looking down at her for a moment. It seemed irritated by Nea despite the lack of expression. Prior it had been deathly quiet and she had only taken note of it until now.  _ Was it scared _ ? There were no signs to prove the accusation.

It backed up and struggled to turn in the small space but it managed and cautiously leered outside the cave. It flinched when it got too close to the light, even so, it still tried its best to see out there. It seemed more focused on the welfare of the situation than Nea’s feelings. Which was fair.

Nea was rubbing her shoulders, looking at them. It didn’t draw blood but it still had hurt when it tightened its hold on her. She felt her temple squeeze together as she looked over to the Wraith. She appreciated that she was still alive n’ all but be that as it may, she despised how easily it had rendered her helpless. Seriously, what had it done?

The killers always sensed the survivors when they got near but that wasn’t the case this time. She rested on the wall it had pinned her against a moment ago. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her calves, and buried her head atop. Even though every part of her screamed to get away from this awkward, disgusting situation, there was no way she was going back out there with the Twins.

The anger was sapping all her energy to contain. Her hotheadedness came with the perk of being reckless. She got it from her dad. She knew better but the urge to snap left her foot tapping impulsively, vibrating her whole. If it wasn’t obvious she would’ve gone off on the wraith if it were any other person. She was in her own little world. By the time she came back, the Wraith returned to its spot as if nothing happened. She must’ve been in her head for a while, given its form was relaxed. Not a trace of unsafety was there anymore. She hated that it didn’t see her as a threat. 

This made them even. She never thought these killers would want to give paybacks like this. She saved its life and now it had saved hers---maybe not as graceful but she was still unscathed. Mostly. She knew it had to have something coaxing it into doing what it did. She wasn’t dumb. But what was it? Was it purely generosity? Surely not. Was it in spite of the Twins? Maybe.

By this point, she didn’t know what to expect.  _ Stupid Nea.  _ If she had just paid attention a little more she wouldn’t have gotten chased off that god-awful cliff. Now she was in a small semi-enclosed space with a killer that probably could squish her with its finger. What were the chances for them to run into each other when they did? This good fortune had to run out at some point.

She looked back at the cave opening; where the Wraith was. Its legs were spread out across the entrance. If she was going to leave she’d have to crawl over it and she’s aware it’s a light sleeper. She never questioned her ability on stealth, she’d always been light on her toes but some of the killers had different levels of senses she couldn’t comprehend. Clearly, it was one of those killers. She didn’t want to take the chance of being grabbed again. Not right now at least. The situation was pointless.

She studied it this time. A rim from outside illuminated its figure just enough for her to see the soft hairs on its skin. It wore a torn robe with a poncho overtop, saggy pants that reminded her of what Meg wore, it had insanely broad shoulders, comical thin legs, combat boots, and the antlers  _ horns? _ At the top of its head kinda looked like a crown now that Nea thought about it. Its skin was split open in a jagged line where the trap was placed but it seemed like a scab of some sort formed over it, keeping most of the blood inside. It was covered in bandages underneath, it showed at the tips of its arms and hands. A white marking was slashed across its face but it didn’t look like paint. Even so, it looked somewhat between human and monster. She took her gaze to the weapon at its side. It was a skull, almost like a glob but a blade arched out of the tip of the head like a scythe.  _ Weird _ . 

Nea narrowed her eyes at the beast, not really coherent on her next choice of action, “What’s your name?”

When she didn’t get an answer or indication that The Wraith would wake to answer her, she slumped and turned away. The thing barely talked and when it did it was hard to understand. For all she knows it probably doesn’t like to or has some health condition. She knew killers had names. The Deathslinger had called the killer it fought with ‘Kazan’. It was a peculiar name and she wondered if it was from a different continent. She was just curious if the Wraith was the same way.

“Phil...ip…”

She turned her head to look at the wraith, their eyes meeting.

“Well Philip,” She waited to see if she said it right, it seemed so. “What’s up between you and the Twins? Were they the ones that tied you to that tree?”

The Wraith turned its head, unwilling to answer her question, “N...ame…”

She redirected her sight elsewhere. For some reason, she thought she could just get away with not having to return her own name. She supposed it was just a word and finally gave in, “Nea.”

“...Nea.”

Its voice was so clear when it had said her name. It made goosebumps form on her arms. It still sounded gurgled and bellow but nonetheless  _ clearer _ . She looked at Philip with raised brows. It seemed lost in thought as if her name was interesting. 

“Well, that seemed easy for you to say,” She cleared her throat. “What’s up with that anyway? Your voice?”

Philip raised a hand to his throat, intuition making him rub it. Upon closer inspection, it appeared cracked there in many small strokes that went up to his face and down his neck, the adam's apple area having a worse condition. She wasn’t sure of anything but that gave her enough to assume that was the cause.  _ Did I just give this thing a pronoun—whatever. _

“S..top ask...ing... question...s.”

“Just making small talk.”

Nea felt around her belt, relieved when she felt the pouch she was looking for. She thought Philip had gone back to sleep with how seemingly fed up he was with her already, but when she glanced back up he was intently watching what she was doing.

“Uh, hi?” She shook her head, trying to hide how uneasy he made her, “Creep.”

She pulled out a candy bar. It was snickers. Philip watched as she ate some of it and Nea tried her best to ignore him. She was naturally a dickhead at times, but she knew when to be appreciative. Even if she was doing it more from intimidation rather than kindness. She broke a piece off and handed it to the Wraith, tensing up when he leaned in to take it. It didn’t matter if the guy ate it or not, it was the gesture that counted. She didn’t know how to say thank you to the possible future cause of her death anyway.

The shared piece was humorously small between his index and thumb. He studied it before shifting back and throwing it into his mouth. Nea got a good look at animalistic teeth when he did. His lips could depart a little unnaturally as well. It made the humor of it all wash away.

She slowly finished her end of the bar, trying to take her time eating it while also burying the alarm the sight just caused her. That was her last chocolate bar. Putting her small mental meltdown aside, she missed Bill’s cooking. He wasn’t amazing at it; he just had more experience than the rest. Who was she kidding, his stews were always energizing. He’d somehow throw something together that would put her own mother to shame. She missed those days. When her mom would rarely but occasionally make her soup that Nea had always liked. She still did.  _ But Bill’s soups are superior. Sorry, mom. _

Philip had gone back to rest and Nea wasn’t gonna bother him this time. She tried to get some sort of comfort herself but couldn’t relax thinking he might suddenly wake up crazed and psychotic. She checked the sleeping mass of murderous energy once more before deciding to let herself ease up. If he hadn’t gone crazy then why would he now? Clearly, he had a sense of mind. He wouldn’t kill something that saved him, let alone someone he was hiding.  _ Even though there was surely an influence behind that action _ . She saw how he got on edge with her question. But maybe he was the greedy type. The bastard type. Maybe he wanted his prey all to himself, for her to think she was safe… She tried to not let that thought get stronger. Jake had simply described the killer much differently than she was experiencing. 

She began thinking of better days, back to when she had said a Lil’ speech' to the group. She told them that no matter what, even if she were bleeding out her ass--she would fight to protect them. David and Meg were right with her. It brought a wave of comfort knowing she had voiced that, remembering all the positive reactions she got from it. The group knows she’d never give up. None of them did but, now they understood the lengths she’d truly go. She’d felt so strong that day. Presently, she didn’t feel as powerful as she did then. 

She briefed the idea of trying to head back uphill again but remembered how the first run had gone. She ran a hand through her hair, still beaten up about the loss of fabric. Her shaved side had grown out to chin length, her other side just below her shoulder blades. She didn’t know what she was gonna do with the hair but she didn’t wanna grow it out.  _ I could just do a pixie cut or maybe a bob. _ Her hand traced back her neck, feeling. The scratches were scabs now which wasn’t a surprise but the size and amount of them were. _ Pretty sure there’s bald spots back there. _

If it wasn’t for the leaves covering everything maybe things would’ve ended up differently. She would like to think that. But it all had come back to her falling. Nothing could’ve changed that.

  
  
  
  
  


She went in and out of sleep, each time eyeing Philip before closing her eyes once more. One of the times, she woke to a distant snap. It was most likely another trap going off. She had seen Philip wake to it too but when he set it aside she eased up. By the fourth time, everything was dark, and glowing dots looked at her; Philip’s eyes, too close for comfort. 

“JESUS-” She bolted backward, hitting her head.

She groaned, moving into a ball as she held her head. A weird cackle came from Philip and Nea almost didn’t recognize it to be a laugh. She looked at him, the center of her face pulled up in astonishment and offense, “Did you just fuckin’…”

The expressiveness from the usual stone-cold face surprised her. The Wraith laughing was not something she thought was possible in the short time they were together… It was almost human. The soft scratchy sounds from Philip faded along with the fucked up chuckles. Nea, stunned, finally realized he was no longer in the cave. She hurried off to follow. He was walking a little way up the hill where she had.  _ So I was going the right way _ .

“Now wait, let's talk about what just happened back there.”

He kept leading. Not acknowledging Nea.

“So you do have emotions.” 

The Wraith turned to face her, clenching the weapon he held. It was the first time he showed aggression towards her. It made Nea pull her lips back against her teeth. She should’ve been scared but amusement settled in much better than fear.

“A softie? Alright, I’ll shut up.”

She spotted a bell at his waist when he rotated to continue guiding. Some other bags were there that were previously covered by the poncho, it was all attached to a concept similar to Nea’s belt. From this point, she was going to assume he was from a different world entirely. At least he looked warm. It made Nea wish she’d kept the sweater she loved before she was taken by the Entity. She only wore a low black tank top, dirtied sweatpants, and some ankle boots. The group and she had yet to find a clothing store. The weather was getting colder. She hated the cold. Even though it was chilly it wasn’t  _ cold _ yet. The nights were still tolerable.

The walk was quiet currently---besides the sounds emitting from Philip. The longer they journeyed upwards the more she thought about how far she’d fallen. It amazed her how she came out of that with nothing broken. She patted herself down with the thought, dirt flaking like dust as she did. It was either the flecks of dirt that made her cough or it was something else but before she could realize how off-track she got, her body slammed upwards. She was now upside down, swinging side to side. She blinked. Shocked.  _ Nice to know the Trapper learned a few tricks. _

Philip was looking up at her. His expression was back to its neutral self. He looked at the rope, following it with his glimmering eyes. Now it was her who was in a trap. The unwanted terror crept across her skin. 

“Philip… Listen...” Her voice was strained from all the blood rushing to her head, “Get me out of this.”

Watching the gears turn in Philip was the longest, most antagonizing, amount of time in her life. The motherfucker was  _ actually _ taking his time making his choice. She was lifting her upper body trying to relieve the blood pressure that was causing her eyes to bulge out of her skull. Her chest ached now.

“Philip!” 

Nea’s body slammed into the ground, sending her into another coughing fit, this time being from a known cause. She was momentarily paralyzed, her body dazed. She slowly turned onto her stomach letting out a long pained howl.  _ Could’ve warned me, asshole _ . She hoped this wasn’t going to leave bruises in the morning. 

Philip’s heavy crunches walked to her side and she looked up at him from the ground, openly expressing the agony her body was in. There was no shame.

The white dots moved down to her before his head did, “Y...ou owe.”

“Yeah yeah-” She achingly wheezed, smacking her chest as if that was going to help get the air back in and rid the pain, “Sure asshole-”

He barely waited for her to recover. She had to grit her teeth through it all to keep up, tripping over herself to stand. She mumbled an insult only to get an offended off-the-shoulder glance from Philip. The way he reacted to it reminded her of when a parent scolds their kid over something uncalled for. She softly snorted at that, disregarding the other glance she got from him in doing so.

It wasn’t long after that when they made it to the top. They met a road. Nea’s posture straightened. A wave of energy flowed through her as she walked ahead of him, taking in the relief this brought. The road didn’t look familiar but it had to lead to town eventually. She’d work from there. More importantly, she was out of the woods. The deal was off.

She turned to tell Philip that they didn’t have to be stuck in each other’s company anymore. However, all that was behind her now was the ghostly wind.

“Damn that butthurt?” She called out sarcastically, taking a step and lifting her head to look around where he was last. Nothing.

How’d that big of a person vanish so easily? She didn’t know why his lack of presence wasn’t liberating or why the veins in her ears started pounding with each second she stood alone. She turned to the road, the moon was the only thing that lit it and created soft lines across the trees. With Philip gone it seemed so much darker and dangerous in an awkward way. She got by on her own just fine, and she certainly didn’t need Philip so she didn’t know why it seemed weird for him to be gone. The feelings departed soon after she started moving.

She thought of what Bill would say about this when she got back. It would be the first person she’d see--if she returned before the rest of the crew did. He’d probably do that thing he did with his face when he heard something unbelievable. Where one of his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pulled back. That old man was too good. She quietly smiled to herself, remembering his look when David randomly came out in a one-piece swimsuit, strutting his stuff for the group. Jake, Ace, and her couldn’t stop laughing. The others were too baffled to say anything. 

David was cold hearted when he first joined in. She was too. She didn’t want to be around any of the others. It felt like an unnecessary risk to be vulnerable like that to a handful of strangers. She and David bonded when she shared that. They both agreed that if they were going to be stuck here they mind as well be stuck helping each other. Ever since then he’s been attached to the group, always being there when someone goes through their monthly stage of hopelessness while also being combat materiel.

Claudette and Dwight were the first people to come across one another. Then it was Kate, Bill, Ace, Adam, her, David, and finally Jake. Jake had been in a previous group. He was with five others named Quinten, Laurie, Jane, Feng, and Tapp. He shared that Quinten had gotten killed by the Wraith, Feng, Jane, and Tapp killed by the Nurse. Laurie lost to the Clown. He was very reserved. He’d only talked to Nea about these things. It’s how she knew about the Wraith. She must’ve gotten a different version of Philip. She’d talk with Jake about it.

She just couldn’t wait to get home and see everyone.

She passed a speed limit sign and came up to a bridge. It was the river again. Good. She was getting close to retracing her steps back to Bill. The plan was for her to lure the Twins away while he stayed hidden until she got back. He was a pain in the ass about it but his missing leg had its demands and she was glad he understood that. She had left thinking the run would be her last. She didn’t like to think that way or anything---she kicked ass when it came to slipping out of the killers’ grasp, but it was the Twins with a night killer this time. Not many people lived after dancing with the Nurse. The triumph she felt made her guilty. Guilty for the loss Jake had when it came to the Nurse and how she now had escaped  _ twice  _ from it now when his friends couldn’t. She was grateful to be alive, maybe not in certain circumstances but having the group around her was her lifeline. She got the luxury of going back to them another day.  _ Don’t jinx it. _

As she approached the overpass she took note of how sketchy it looked. This wasn’t the cement bridge she was used to seeing in her days, this was a wooden one. It had seen better days. There was no way around the river and there were no convenient trees lopsided across either. She obviously couldn’t jump it or swim it. There was only one option and that was to walk it. 

She reluctantly took a step onto it, stepping softly across it. It creaked and groaned beneath her feet but it seemed like it was holding her weight okay. She was glad she wasn’t a giant. Then the thought occurred to her,  _ how in the hell did that massive twin, the one with the strange hood--walk across this? _ She did see the bigger twin when the little one chased her down the hill didn’t she? Those two never strayed far apart. She looked across the river on the inner side, trying to see if there was another bridge but it was too dark. All she could hear and see was the sound of rushing water and a dark abyss beneath. With that, she hurried across, not wanting to stay any longer than she needed to.

It seemed to be the Twins that partnered with a handful of killers. The nurse was new. It was the first partnership between a night and day killer she’d seen. She previously saw them with the Legion, but for a while, they worked with the Pig. The Pig disappeared at some point, not only from the Twin’s sides but from the world altogether it seemed. It was one less thing for her to worry about.

Thinking about it all, she felt like if she turned around she’d see the Nurse and Twins lunging at her again. The moment she realized how high of a chance that was, she was looking over her shoulder every minute. She’d quickened her paste. The journey was already much longer than it needed to be. She was pretty sure it was nearing twenty-four hours since then. It was putting a strain on her. She didn’t want the group searching for her. She knew the moment the others returned and Bill informed them, she wouldn’t just have killers hunting her down.

With all the worries on her shoulders, she ended up finding a map showing her where she was upon an intersection. She had slowly started to be surrounded by structures rather than trees. She still didn’t know where she was until she looked at the map. Straining her eyes trying to see, she studied the lines and names. She was too far from the end goal. It was a schoolhouse, somewhat in the middle of town. It was obvious places like that the killers didn’t think to check... Most of the time. There were close calls sometimes. 

She knew she was chased for a long time but she was impressed she got as far as she did. As she thought; the river did take her most the way. She’d have to stop at one of the shops to see if she could scavenge for food or anything really. The group and her had talked about supplies eventually going vacant. None of them really realized it until Dwight said something. They’d have to somehow make their own source of supplies if they weren’t able to get out of this. It seemed so far away and most of them didn’t want to think about this being the rest of their lives so they never got around to it. They did have a solid amount of stuff back at the school but it didn’t stop her from thinking about it.

She took a minute, drank some water, and continued off. When she made it to the area she needed to go through she collapsed within a restaurant, re-energizing. She got tips from Meg but there was no way her stamina would ever reach that woman’s. Every inch of her was weighted by exhaustion. It was then she felt the aftermath of everything that's happened so far hit her body. She did not get enough rest and food to be doing what she was doing.

In some time she finally got up and explored the building. It was one of those diners you’d see in the nineteen-hundred films. It was weird being in one, even if it was dusty and too dark to see most things. It was just another sign that she looked just as unnatural to his world as it did to her. She just wished she had her flashlight. This whole journey had been stressful without it.

She coughed again. This time her head throbbed with it and she leaned against the bar a little.  _ Hell no _ . She was not getting sick. She drank some more water. As much as she wanted to conserve the water the relief her throat got from it made her drink more than she intended. Her bladder was going to overflow if she kept this up.

Were the restrooms here usable? Despite how abandoned and wrecked this city was, some of the plumbing still worked. She went to the far left of the building and checked. When she found the restrooms she did her deed. It wasn’t pretty but it got the job done. She ended up finding a cute charm on one of the sinks and clasped it to her belt.

She returned to the main area, making her way to the opposite side this time. However, as she reached the gate to the kitchen, there was a bell in the distance. It was unearthly and echoed throughout the large town. She thought about the bell she had seen on Philip. She rotated, looking outside in the darkness. A dash of wind sped across the outside, shattering the decade-old glass onto Nea despite how far she was from the windows. The air that reached her was burning hot. Supernatural screams followed close behind. She had swiftly crouched out of sight trying not to move, something she should’ve done sooner. There were shards of glass in her forearm resulting from when she had raised her arms to protect her face. Another burst of wind sent more glass over the bar and onto her head. This time freezing.

_ Holy fucking shit.  _

She quickly made her way through the back-space when the blood-curdling sounds grew far enough. She didn’t have time to scavenge for anything let alone understand what was happening. She needed to leave. Coming before a back exit she opened it and headed down an alleyway. She could hardly see the road names in the jet black and had no intention to at the moment. She simply ran in the opposite direction of the horrors, whether it was the wrong way or not. 

She mentally told herself she was at least going to get twenty blocks away from whatever was back there. She could do it. She didn’t know what time it was, but she wished the sun would rise. She coughed again, muffling it with her hands for a split second, grasping shortly after she couldn’t do that because she was running.  _ Moron _ .

She only made it to the tenth block before her legs started to grow heavy, along with her arms. The sounds had been long left behind but as the pitter-patter of her running ceased, she swore she could still hear the screams. A murky wave of uncertainty made its way inside her. One foot in front of the other. Step, step, step… _Move it._ _Don’t let them down_. She’d been through so much more. This was nothing.

Her stomach groaned in protest and her eyes itched with drowsiness.  _ No _ . She walked with her spine straight the best she could before finding a familiar building. She crawled inside a broken wall, collapsing somewhere in the center.  _ Books _ . It was the library she and Meg checked out. Her heart fluttered. Everything seemed the same way they left it. Literature scattered across the ground, molding together with dust, cobwebs, creaking pillars, the wide-open roof. Some broken planks of wood laid in the wrong parts or went all the way up to the hole and down, some dangling. The establishment was ruined for sure but its foundation still stood.

She let herself breathe for a bit. Collect herself. She got chased, fell off a cliff, miraculously survived, helped a killer, somewhat napped in the same space as him, got ditched on the side of the road, pissed in an ancient toilet, and witnessed something she can’t even start with. 

There were no cushions on the furniture, Meg and her had taken those when they came here, but there were curtains alongside the bow windows. Using the small amount of energy she had, she walked over to the window and softly tugged at the cloth. The material was attached to a rail at the top, preventing her from simply pulling it down. She wasn’t tall enough to reach it either. There were a few stands and chairs but none of them would suffice and she highly doubted any of them would support anything. The framework looked ready to give in with the smallest tint of pressure and she was pretty sure a nest of spiders lived in some. 

She tapped her foot, focusing on the other windows. There were some higher above but all of them had the same architecture. She went to stand on the frame. She hissed, gritting her teeth. She had tried reaching for the rail but some spots of her skin had pulled apart in the process. She was bleeding.  _ Right, fuck… The glass _ . There were a few pieces that had penetrated her skin in uneven ways, leaving the skin raw and bleeding. She grimaced at the site and got back down. She didn’t have anything to clean the wounds but she couldn’t keep the shards in so one by one she pulled them out, making it worse. She stopped when the trail of blood that slid down her arm grew thicker and she got the message. By this point, she just wanted something to lay on.  _ For Christ's sake. _

Her next options were the rug or overcoat on the counter. She decided on the counter blanket. It was relieving to have something to lean on and she took her time, enjoying that the table took some of her weight. She’d get it off later. Just a moment of peace...

  
  
  
  
  


“Nea.”

She spun around to see Philip’s figure appear slowly in a wave of ashy flare. It sounded like the crackle from a fire. She pressed her back against the countertop, completely taken aback. He was hurt and stumbled a bit to her. He only made it a few inches to her before his legs gave out beneath him, a nasty hack spewing something vile onto the floor. This was way different from when she found him in the forest. This was more like how Jake described him. The strange things on his neck were flared up again as if to make him look bigger, his form agitated and bloodied beyond recognition. 

“Oh, we are not doing this!” She tried to hush her voice realizing she was a little too loud, “I didn’t sign up to be friends when I helped you back there. I have nothing to help with your wounds. I want nothing to do with your issues either. This is fucking insane.”

She scooted to the end of the counter, trying to get away from the situation. She halted to a stop when a splitting crack filled the air. She whirled to face him. He’d slammed his fist into the wooden floor and it had thrown pieces of bark across the ground. When did he have claws? Those weren’t the same hands that held her shoulders.

His voice was darker and there was a different tone attached to it than before, “YOU. OWE. ME.”

His beady eyes fumed with something crimson and his face resembled an animal baring its teeth, threatening Nea. She could run. Oh, she could. But she knew if she did the Wraith would track her down. If it had found her here then it would have no problem doing it again. She wouldn’t put her friends in danger like that. Not when she was so close.


End file.
